White Room

About the White Room

The White Room provides current information relating to new technologies for energy efficiency. Stay connected with the latest news, events, and scientific breakthroughs in this fast moving sector. Use our filters on the left or click here to send a suggestion for content to add.

Despite claims by Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas that they exceeded energy savings goals, the Public Utilities Commission said the utilities reached just 70% of those goals on average.

The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday approved a five-year program where PG&E will install a number of mid-size solar photovoltaic arrays amounting to a total capacity of 500 megawatts.

California surpassed one gigawatt of solar power production last month. One gigawatt can meet the instantaneous demand of at least 750,000 California homes. This milestone shows how far California has come with solar power and how far it has to go.

As the population of India continues to grow, the country faces challenges in trying to supply power to all its citizens. Utility companies and regulators will use smart meters to better understand electricity use and distribution in the country.

In an effort to save energy, major HVAC and thermostat companies have been turning to "smarter" thermostats -- wireless, connected thermostats that can often be set up online. These new smart thermostats are expected to be more user-friendly than earlier versions.

Ceres recently released two new reports related to energy efficiency: The 21st Century Electric Utility - Positioning for a Low-Carbon Future, and Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States.

A new breakthrough etching technique developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory can put a trillion holes in a silicon wafer the size of a compact disc. This technology may lead to more efficient, lower-cost solar cells.